But no matter, there wasn’t a whole lot to report anyway. No crazy mishaps or injuries this time — I actually ended up having a really great race.

I stuck to my training plan, which was to go out slow until I found my legs, and expect a 1-2 minute positive split. I actually maintained a decent pace throughout the whole race, and only really struggled in the last 3 km.

Besides a sweet playlist to distract me, I also had my best friend join me on the course for a brief jog (she lasted one minute — granted she was carrying a coffee mug and wasn’t in running gear, but I was super excited she came out to watch and run with me), my coach Noa wait near kilometre 15 and 30 to check in on me, and an old coworker who filmed me running this same race for work last year find me on his bike and escort me for a couple of kms.

I finished in 4:07, which was pretty much what I’d expected to finish in. My pace was a fairly consistent 5:46. (The full Garmin stats are here.) This is a HUGE improvement from last year. It was a PB by almost 30 minutes.

The biggest surprise/highlight of this marathon (only my second) was how great I felt after. No hobbling, no pain, no nothing. I actually went for a hike the next day because I felt so great.

Of course, when I told this to my coach, she told me that I didn’t push myself enough. That’s probably true, but I was so scared of doing what I did last year that I held back on my pace. Good to know, though, for next year!

So what’s next: I’m going to keep my fitness up during the winter. I don’t really want to dial down training too much, but I know I need a bit of a break right now since it feels like I’ve been in training mode for almost a year! I know I need to get back in the pool soon, but for now, I’ve signed up to run a couple of shorter trail races (Gunner Shaw XC 10k, Bear Mountain 10k and Stewart Mountain 10 miler) in the coming months just for fun. Loving this wet, muddy west coast weather on the trails right now!

I haven’t decided what triathlons I’m going to do next year yet, other than the fact I want to do more. I’d love to end the season at the Apple triathlon in Kelowna, and will probably do some of the Subaru series again. I’m also planning to run a leg of the Sinister 7 trail race in Alberta this summer with my friend Hagen and his buddies.

Just so this post isn’t entirely boring, here are some endurance sport-related pictures from the last while I’ve posted on Twitter!

Disclaimer

I am not a medical professional nor a registered dietitian. While I source science-based research where possible, views expressed on the blog are my own and are based on personal experiences. My views should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise or wellness program.

All images and content are copyrighted. Please do not use or repurpose without my permission.